Ashoka U

Ashoka U is working at an institutional level to make a difference in the education of millions of students, building on Ashoka’s vision for a world where Everyone is a Changemaker. We collaborate with colleges and universities to break down barriers to institutional change and foster a campus-wide culture of social innovation.

Ashoka U’s global network of 150 colleges and universities is advancing an education that develops interdisciplinary, entrepreneurial, and solutions-oriented skills. Ashoka U helps break down barriers to institutional change and fosters a culture of social innovation in higher education.

Ashoka U’s flagship program, the Changemaker Campus designation, recognizes colleges and universities that have embedded social innovation as a core value through a rigorous one- to two-year selection process. This Changemaker Campus consortium is a dynamic, global network of leading colleges and universities that commit to advancing social innovation at their campus and beyond. Learn more about Changemaker Campuses here.

The Commons facilitates cohorts of institutions that work together on specific building blocks of social innovation education, with the guidance of an experienced coach over a period of three months. Learn more about the Ashoka U Commons here.

The Exchange is an annual gathering that brings together more than 700 higher education stakeholders that represent more than 150 colleges and universities around the world to collectively reimagine how colleges and universities can catalyze long-term change and social impact. More information about the Exchange is available here.

What is Ashoka U’s role?

We offer a field-level perspective on how to build a robust social innovation ecosystem based on Ashoka U’s experience working with hundreds of colleges and universities around the world. We aim to simultaneously evaluate and advance social innovation efforts at each potential Changemaker Campus through conversations, interviews, written analysis, and in-person site visits.

Meet the Changemaker Campuses

Since 2008, Ashoka U has offered the Changemaker Campus designation to leading institutions in social innovation education. The designation recognizes colleges and universities around the world that have embedded social innovation as a core value, and showcases the ways in which they have built supportive environments for changemaking across their institutions. Together, Changemaker Campuses form a global network of leaders and innovators who provide inspiration, connections, and support to broaden the impact of social innovation on a global scale.

Visit the AshokaU website for more information about Ashoka Changemaker campuses.

Staff

Executive Director, Ashoka U

Marina Joy Kim

Executive Director, Ashoka U

Marina’s work in social entrepreneurship dates back over a decade. She started at Stanford University, leading the Future Social Innovators’ Network, the Social Entrepreneurs’ Challenge, and co-founding the university’s first minor in social innovation. Since then, Marina co-founded and leads Ashoka U, working with campuses to embed social innovation as an educational focus and core value of the university culture. Marina’s work has been featured on Forbes.com, Stanford Social Innovation Review blog, in the Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times. Marina was named in the Forbes 30 under 30 for Social Entrepreneurship, recognizing her work with Ashoka U.

Director, Ashoka U Exchange and Commons

Beeta Ansari

Director, Ashoka U Exchange and Commons

Beeta is the Director of two of Ashoka U’s programs: the annual Exchange, a global convening for social entrepreneurship education and the Commons, an online platform that facilitates cohort-based learning. In addition to leading the vision, strategy and execution related to the Exchange and Commons, Beeta also serves as Ashoka U's COO, leading the team's strategic planning processes, budgeting, staffing and assisting with organizational design. Previously, Beeta worked as a Procurement Manager at a high-growth tech startup and tutored students at KIPP Academy in Houston. Beeta graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BS in Economics.

Exchange Associate Director, Ashoka U

Emily Lamb

Exchange Associate Director, Ashoka U

Emily is Associate Director of Ashoka U’s Exchange. The Exchange is Ashoka U's annual global convening of visionary university faculty, staff, students, and social entrepreneurs eager to transform higher education into a hub for social innovation and social change. As Associate Director, Emily guides the strategy, annual planning cycle and execution of the Exchange. In 2014, Emily began as an intern at Ashoka U and worked to support various leadership development initiatives within the Ashoka U network. Prior to joining Ashoka U, Emily supported the growth of The Future Project, an Ashoka Fellow organization aiming to reinvigorate high schools into learning labs for 21st century leaders. As an undergraduate student at the University of Kansas, she directed the campus volunteer and service center, called the Center for Community Outreach. She graduated in 2012 with honors and a degree in American Studies.

Ashoka U Commons Manager

Alexandra Fraenkel

Ashoka U Commons Manager

Ali believes deeply in the creation of unique learning journeys, especially as they connect to the transformational role that institutions can play as leaders in emergent changemaking. Ali brings experience in community building, higher education, and transformative leadership to the Ashoka U team. Previously, Ali was based in Boston working with the Learning by Giving Foundation and Northeastern University (her alma mater) to accelerate national student grantmaking opportunities in higher ed and to launch the first-ever MOOC for effective charitable giving. In her hometown of the Hudson Valley, Ali co-founded the Ascienzo Family Foundation and serves as a director of foundation initiatives. She especially gravitates to education-based innovation, having worked for social enterprises like DonorsChoose.org and Room to Read. Living in service to others is Ali’s lifelong commitment — she is always eager to collaborate in ways that support the work and missions of fellow changemakers.

Growth & Partnerships Director, Ashoka U

Jessica Lax

Growth & Partnerships Director, Ashoka U

Jessica’s focus is on increasing Ashoka U’s breadth of impact. She leads Ashoka U’s thought leadership and digital strategy, refining Ashoka U’s messages to reach new audiences. Based in Ottawa, and as a past member of the Ashoka Canada team, Jess also brings a global lens to Ashoka U’s work. Through partnerships with higher education networks, she is building an increasingly global, and more representative campus network. An accomplished social entrepreneur, Jess has been working on spreading ideas in the social impact education space for more than 15 years. Her early experience was as a co-founder of an award-winning environmental organization that scaled across Canada, and the UK. She went on to launch an online school for changemakers, and develop a city-wide collaborative to support social enterprises. Jessica was awarded a Skoll Scholarship for her work and holds an MBA from Saîd Business School at Oxford University.

Ashoka U Renewal Manager

Nimesh Ghimire

Ashoka U Renewal Manager

Nimesh joined the Ashoka U team in early 2016 as Renewal Manager. He was deeply involved in experimenting with – and learning from – grassroots engagement and innovation models during his undergraduate years, having co-led the design and implementation of two Innovation Labs in rural Nepal – a collaboration and resource space for community members to come together to design their own solutions to pressing local challenges. A member of the British Council’s Global Changemakers network, he also worked as part of World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Next Generation, providing youth voice and perspective to issues pertinent to the next generation. In 2009, Nimesh was selected as one of Asia-Pacific’s 100 most promising young social entrepreneurs by FYSE, a Hong-kong based foundation.
Nimesh graduated with a degree in Economics from Swarthmore College, where he was a Periclean Scholar.

Interim Director, Ashoka U Canada

Danica Straith

Interim Director, Ashoka U Canada

Interim Ashoka U Canada Director, Danica Straith has an ambitious goal: to make changemaking education the new normal in Canada. She is one among many in a national network of change leaders putting social innovation at the forefront of higher education. While seeking out and engaging prospective Changemaker Campuses, she continues to grow support among students and administrators alike.
Danica was a changemaking student herself, co-founding a social enterprise between completing her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at McGill. She has also worked in Germany and East Africa as a researcher and consultant for social enterprises. Living and breathing the idea of “Everyone a Changemaker,” Danica is a firm believer in education as the driver of positive social change.